O Sacred Heart of Jesus, how blessed is he whose only hope and confidence is in Thee, Who alone canst satisfy the yearnings of his heart! Thou art indeed the light of our true heavenly land, the delights of which surpass all that our human senses can experience. Too late have I known Thee, O ancient beauty! Too late have I loved Thee! But if I have begun so late, make me now love Thee perfectly. Amen.
Twenty-fourth Day. The Love of the Saints for the Heart of Jesus.
What a contrast there is between my conduct and that of Thy saints—between my indifference and their love towards Thy sweet Heart in the Blessed Sacrament! St. John Francis Regis, when worn out with labor, would retire to the church and would there find repose and rest at the feet of Jesus. St. Francis Xavier used to pass the night and take his repose in the sacristy, so as to be near Jesus. Leopold, Duke of Austria, would dismount from his horse, and falling on his knees would [pg 266] adore his Saviour as the procession of the Blessed Sacrament passed him by. It is true that I cannot, nor does Jesus expect me to imitate these bright examples; yet if I have the will and the desire I can do much. Could I not often think of Jesus, lonely in the Blessed Sacrament, waiting and watching for me, His poor creature, to visit Him? Could I not, like St. Alphonsus, visit the Blessed Sacrament every day? Could I not, when I bend my knee before Him, say “Blessed and praised be the Adorable Sacrament of the Altar?” Could I not refrain from useless talk in church? Could I not easily assist at Benediction as often as it takes place in church? All this I could do, O loving Heart of Jesus, if I only cared for Thee, if the love of Thee had taken full possession of my soul. But I am weak, O Jesus, and ever prone to thwart Thy adorable intentions; still I am comforted by the thought that Thou wilt aid and sustain me. This urges me to pray, in fullest hope of obtaining all things conducive to my sanctification here, and my salvation hereafter. Perfect my desires, I implore Thee, and let the example of Thy saints stimulate me to love Thee in the Blessed Sacrament more and more.
Prayer.
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thou art the source of the joy and holiness of the saints, and from Thy fulness we receive all that we can have or wish for in heaven and on earth. Through Thy charity, and through that of the heart of Thy holy Mother, I beseech Thee to bestow on me the sweet peace of charity, and to make my heart ever yielding and obedient to the impulses of Thy divine grace. Amen.
Twenty-fifth Day. The Agony of the Heart of Jesus.
The Heart of Jesus is filled with terror at the sight of the torments that await Him. He seems to forget what He is and why He came into this world. He prostrates Himself on the ground, and beseeches His Father to remove from Him, if possible, the chalice of suffering which He sees in store for Him. His agony is so intense that He is covered with a sweat of blood, which oozes out in great drops and trickles down to the ground. O my soul, hast thou ever beheld a sight like this? Only Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has loved man, has suffered like this. O my Jesus, my sweet Jesus, Thou hast willingly suffered the divine vengeance which should have fallen on me. What more couldst Thou have done for me? Surely if our hearts are human, if there is one fibre of pity or gratitude in our souls, the memory of Thy agony would never be obliterated. By Thy presence on the altar, Thou has made me acknowledge the enormity of my sins. Thou hast compelled me to own that my sins have, as far as they could, reacted every scene in Thy Passion. And yet do I linger under the shadow of Thy tabernacle? Do I weep over the wounds I have made in Thy body? Oh, no, dear Jesus! I have forgotten Thee, and like the Jews, with Thy blood on my hands, I have eaten and made merry. O tender Heart of Jesus, let it be so no more. Let my heart be filled with sorrow on account of my iniquities. Let my repentance be like Magdalen's; then I shall be happy and I shall be saved, because Thou wilt never despise a truly contrite heart. O [pg 268] loving Jesus, make my heart so just, so upright, and so conformable to Thy Heart, that between Thee and me there may be nothing to offend Thee.
Prayer.